Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a Japanese therapy, based on the principle that vital energy (known in Japanese as Ki) flows throughout the body in a series of channels called meridians. According to this principle, symptoms can be caused when this energy stops flowing freely. Shiatsu practitioners use thumb and palm pressure, stretching and other techniques to restore the balance of energy.
What is shiatsu commonly used for?
Shiatsu is used for a wide range of conditions, from injuries to more general symptoms of poor health. Conditions treated by shiatsu practitioners include back pain; headaches and migraine; whiplash injuries and neck stiffness; joint pain and reduced mobility; menstrual and digestive problems; asthmatic symptoms; sports injuries and depression. Shiatsu may also be used to help symptoms associated with pregnancy and childbirth, although special care needs to be taken during the first three months of pregnancy.
What will happen when I see a shiatsu practitioner?
Treatment is usually given on a special mattress, or futon, on the floor. The practitioner should advise you to wear loose, comfortable clothing, like track-suit trousers and a t-shirt. Before the treatment the practitioner will ask about your medical and family history, your diet and lifestyle. This information will help the practitioner work out the best way to treat you. After a treatment, some people find they have increased vitality and you may feel invigorated yet relaxed.
What precautions should I take?
Shiatsu is not recommended for people with osteoporosis or low blood platelet counts. In the first three months of pregnancy certain points should be avoided by the practitioner, particularly if the woman has a history of miscarriage.
Older people or people with disabilities may find it difficult to lie down on the floor, but shiatsu is adaptable and can be given in a chair or wheelchair.
What will it cost?
Shiatsu treatments can cost from between £25 to £60 upwards, depending on where you live.
How do I find a shiatsu practitioner?
There is no single body that regulates the shiatsu profession although there are a number of professional associations that practitioners can choose to belong to.
Shiatsu practitioners are not legally required to belong to a professional association or to have completed a specified course of training, although many belong to the organisations listed below who are working together as the Shiatsu Regulatory Group to develop common standards of training and practice and one register of practitioners who all meet a required standard. When this happens, members of the public will have a single point of contact for finding practitioners. However, this process takes time and at present standards of training can vary, which is why we suggest you speak to the practitioner before going for treatment.
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